> I was intrigued by this, because I noticed the use of pineapple motifs
> engraved on glasses, etc., at Colonial Williamsburg.  I associate pineapple
> with the tropics, and was curious if the design was used in Williamsburg in
> the late 1700¹s, or if it was a contemporary motif..
> David
> 
> This is a question for all you museum educators and curators out there. My
> Education Coordinator is presenting a session at our local historic sites
> consortium symposium about museum/historic house myths and will be explaining
> but mostly debunking the popular myths heard around the country, e.g. closets
> were taxed, firescreens kept people's wax makeup from melting, the second
> leading cause of death among women was catching on fire, etc.
>  
> She has come across one that is intriguing and wants to include it in her
> talk. There are apparently several versions of the "pineapple story" floating
> around. One, a pineapple was placed on a visitor's plate at mealtime if they
> had overstayed their welcome thereby giving them a signal that it was time to
> leave. Another version states that "pineapples" carved on the posts (I assume
> the mean the finials) of four-poster beds were removed if the visitor has
> overstayed their welcome. I think this last one refers to the crosshatched
> elliptical decoration sometimes seen on rococo-style furniture.
>  
> Has anyone heard these or versions of these? Do you have any suggestions on
> where it might have originated? We all know about the pineapple being a symbol
> of welcome and hospitality, when was this connection created?
>  
>  
> Heidi Campbell-Shoaf
> Curator
> Historical Society of Frederick County
> 24 E. Church St.
> Frederick, MD 21701
> [log in to unmask]
> ========================================================= Important Subscriber
> Information: 
> 
> The Museum-L FAQ file is located at http://www.finalchapter.com/museum-l-faq/
> . You may obtain detailed information about the listserv commands by sending a
> one line e-mail message to [log in to unmask] . The body of the
> message should read "help" (without the quotes).
> 
> If you decide to leave Museum-L, please send a one line e-mail message to
> [log in to unmask] . The body of the message should read "Signoff
> Museum-L" (without the quotes).


-- 
Yakima Valley Museum
yakimavalleymuseum.org
509-248-0747


=========================================================
Important Subscriber Information:

The Museum-L FAQ file is located at http://www.finalchapter.com/museum-l-faq/ . You may obtain detailed information about the listserv commands by sending a one line e-mail message to [log in to unmask] . The body of the message should read "help" (without the quotes).

If you decide to leave Museum-L, please send a one line e-mail message to [log in to unmask] . The body of the message should read "Signoff Museum-L" (without the quotes).